Red Dawn
by Twilit Dawn
Summary: Find Uchiha Sasuke..." The true reason Tobi isn't a good boy anymore. This was meant to be a oneshot, and it's my first fanfiction ever, so please review with comments and advice. No pairings, Tobi/Obito theory and Tobi/Madara Theory implied
1. Blood Moon

Red Dawn

Red Dawn

Chapter 1

Tobi ran, what else could he do? He could still hear his senpai yelling, "Get out of here Tobi you idiot, un!" Tobi had no choice but to follow orders, like any other good boy. Time passed, Tobi didn't look back, even after he heard the giant explosion, louder than any other. Deidara-senpai told him to run, so he did. He kept moving, even though his partner's face came to mind, angry and still... artistic as the blonde told him to shut up and save himself, blue eye darting from Tobi to Sasuke like a caged animal. There was something about his expression that told Tobi to automatically turn tail and run. The last thing he remembered seeing of the battle was the smirk on Sasuke's face, blood red sharingan eyes half hidden under black hair watching him run away.

Tobi vaguely remembered hearing the Uchiha say "Doesn't matter, but It's touching that you save your worthless friend. You're going to die anyway." Sasuke's words echoed ominously in Tobi's mind, but then he heard Deidara laugh, and he knew the artist enough to discern the fear under the bravado.

"Well if it comes to that, I'll be sure to take you with me, and I'll personally make sure you burn in the deepest pit of hell, un." Deidara replied, his voice an intimidating mixture of a snarl and maniacal laughter. And then silence, as Tobi could hear nothing more than the pounding of his own heart and the far off noises of explosions and then... the eardrum shattering bang that could only mean one thing now that Tobi thought about it. It happened about an hour ago.

Tobi stopped. He lay in the grass, panting from exhaustion, and looked up at the darkening sky, gray soon to become black. He pulled wearily at the orange mask that covered his entire face save his right eye and the black spiral design that drew the eye towards it. Tobi winced as he sat up and leaned against one of the gigantic trees that made up the majority of forests in this part of the country. He looked up at the emerging stars and thought painfully about Deidara.

He should go back. That was what a good boy would do, because even his senpai needed help once in a while.

Tobi stood up with difficulty and straightened the black cloak with red clouds that marked him as a member as one of the most notorious and infamous criminal organizations known to the shinobi world. He limped back to where he had come from; trying to relieve some pain and exhaustion with what little chakra he had left.

The night grew darker; the crescent moon seemed to gaze down coldly as Tobi staggered towards where the ex-terrorist had told him to save himself and flee. The silvery light turned bloody as Tobi came closer. He looked up, surprised to see the moon stained in blood that was a lunar eclipse. Tobi breathed in sharply as he started on the last of his chakra reserves. But then he stumbled and fell back in fright.

"What are you doing Tobi? I thought I told you to run away, un?" Deidara looked down at Tobi questioningly. He was also wearing an Akatsuki cloak. He had long blonde hair tied back in a half ponytail and long bangs in front of his left eye. A ninja hitai-ate headband across his forehead had a deep gouge through the symbol, indicating that he was a missing-nin from Iwagakure, the village hidden in the rock. Tobi looked up at Deidara, which was odd because he had always been the taller of the two. He seemed all right, but somehow different... did his blonde hair almost seem brighter? Or was it that his visible eye looked happier and full of good humor, so unlike the temperamental artist and incendiary expert that Tobi knew so well. Was this really the Deidara that he really knew, looked up to, and, dare he say it, loved?

"B-but senpai, I heard the explosion and you weren't back and…" Tobi trailed off and then added in a quieter tone "I was starting to get worried…"

Deidara looked down at Tobi but not with the customary annoyance that he was so used to, but with an almost soft, sad look. Like he was sorry for the orange masked goofball.

"It's alright Tobi, you did the right thing, and you're a good boy, un." Tobi smiled under his mask as he picked himself up. The crimson moonlight reddened the grass, and Deidara barely cast a shadow, on the contrary, he almost seemed to emit an ethereal light. It got darker, and almost impossible to see, It was almost as if the shadows were clawing at them, trying to swallow the soft glow that enveloped Deidara like an aura instead of fleeing like any regular shadow would.

Tobi was forced to remove his mask so he could see and avoid tripping over one of the large tree roots, or stepping into a trap. Deidara looked down at him, which was odd, because Tobi had been taller for as long as he could remember.

"Deidara-senpai, we should go back and make sure that it all worked out and we finished our mission…" Tobi said quietly. He trailed off as he saw his partner's eye fill with sadness once more. Tobi started walking towards the battle site again, his mask dangling carelessly from one hand. He stopped when he noticed that Deidara hadn't followed.

"I guess we should," agreed Deidara, striding forward hesitantly, then turning to look at Tobi. "And Tobi? I never thought I'd say this, but you actually look sort of handsome with that mask off, un." He added lightly before taking the lead.

Tobi had to run a couple of steps because he was so startled that his pyromaniac partner had said such a thing. He followed Deidara, pain and worry forgotten, he was just happy to be with his senpai again.

What Deidara didn't see was the light blush that crept across Tobi's features at the compliment. He had barely taken off his mask, and never shown his face before: Zetsu, his mentor, had forbidden it, saying that people wouldn't think that he was a good boy, and that he might be killed if anyone ever recognized his face.

Tobi had light skin that hadn't seen the sun in years; his dark eye and his shock of spiky coal black hair contrasted this. His hair fell in front of his forehead and partially obscured the left side of his face, covering his eye and part of his cheek. He also wore a medical eye patch over his left eye socket; Zetsu had told him that he had lost this eye long ago when he had been found on the border of the Fire and Rain countries 13 years ago.

White scars traced the visible right side of his face, tokens of his forgotten memory and history. A particularly deep scar ran from his right temple to left cheek, narrowly missing his only remaining eye. He traced that scar unconsciously and instead focused on Deidara's back as he led them towards the clearing where they had battled Uchiha Sasuke, Itachi's younger brother.

Deidara stopped abruptly before they had a chance to enter the battle site. "Are you sure you want to do this, un?" Tobi stopped, confused.

"Of course, why wouldn't I senpai?" Deidara just nodded somberly and stepped into the area that hosted that day's previous battle.

It was a gigantic blast site. The grass was charred where it wasn't blown away altogether. The smell was almost unbearable, the scent of burnt flesh and hair as well as vegetation. Fragments of cloth, clay, and scales littered the enormous crater and the head of a giant snake summon lay nearby, eyes glassy with the buzz of flies and other insects surrounding it like a cloud.

Smoke rose and danced on the wind, tinted red by the light of the lunar eclipse.

Tobi wandered blindly towards the epicenter of the blast. The sandy soil had been melted into crude glass from the heat and ferocity of the explosion.

Tobi dropped the orange clay mask that symbolized everything to him, his life so far, everything important to him, his identity. Tobi was past caring anymore as it broke, shattered like his now useless façade.

Tobi slowly reached out for a small piece of metal that glinted red in the moonlight.

"S-senpai? Tell me it's not true…" Tobi whimpered, his gloved hands shaking as he held the scrap of metal. "Please, no…" he chocked out as a stray tear glistened at the corner of his eye. Only one.

Deidara said nothing, promised nothing as his partner cradled the small device to his heart, his world was shattering.

Tobi looked down at the object before closing his hands over it.

It was Deidara's scope, the metal eye that he had always hidden under his hair, that he had always been embarrassed to let anyone see because it symbolized his weakness, he needed a machine to counteract the sharingan.

"I went out with a bang, un…" Deidara said quietly, almost like he was trying to console himself along with his partner. He watched Tobi sob silently on his knees, clutching the piece of metal that used to be a part of his beloved senpai.

Tobi stood up shakily and looked Deidara in the eye. He then tentatively reached out and brushed away the shining blond hair in front of his partner's left eye. Scope-less, it looked sadly back at him. Tobi looked back down at the scope again. "Y-you really did?"

"Yeah Tobi… and it was my greatest masterpiece…" Deidara's spirit regained his former passion for a moment as he spoke of his own demise. "Don't be sad, un…" He said as he saw that what he previously said only dismayed Tobi further. If only he could comfort his partner one last time.

Deidara knelt down and tilted Tobi's chin up, looking him in the eye. "I'll always be with you, but you can do one last… favor for me."

"What senpai? Anything!" Tobi answered eagerly as he wiped his eye, wanting to convince himself that this was real, it wasn't imagined. He was eager to please his senpai, if only for one last time.

"Kill Uchiha Sasuke."

Tobi narrowed his eyes and nodded, gathering the shards of his mask. Deidara watched him with triumphant sapphire eyes.

Tobi looked down at the scope in one hand and at the broken mask in the other. His face was contorted into a snarl of rage. "Sasuke will pay." He hissed, turning in the direction of the Akatsuki lair. Deidara's spirit smiled as it followed Tobi, invisible to all but him.

The lunar eclipse faded, the blood red retreating from the surface of the moon, and the crimson flooded a different orb.

Tobi's eye gleamed with the sharingan, as well as the newfound power of hatred. Dawn broke maroon crimson and bloody as Tobi approached the headquarters, a changed man.

Akatsuki. Red Dawn.


	2. Crimson Morning

The Akatsuki base was dull and quiet. Tobi hadn't been in his customary 'good boy' attitude for days now. He had fixed his mask with some of Deidara's old clay, but things just didn't feel the same.

The whole base seemed to be submerged in the silence of mourning. Itachi was even quieter and more reclusive than usual, Kisame was reduced to saying something, regretting it, then mumbling something about getting some sake before he would get up and leave. Kakuzu stopped grumbling about finances, or lack of them, and even Hidan rarely uttered a curse, carrying out his Jashinist rituals in near silence.

And Tobi… Tobi would never be the same. The hate, it clawed at him, like a ravenous beast. Willing him, no, forcing him to go after the brat that had killed his senpai, his partner… But he resisted the call of revenge, and waited.

And what troubled him the most was the absence of art. He still talked to Deidara, because, true to his word, his spirit never left him for long. Deidara would often make small explosions for entertainment, to lighten the oppressive mood a little, but they were silent, nothing more than a flash of light. Tobi was often obliged to use the remainder of Deidara's clay under his partner's instruction. But it was never the same, and it never would be.

Also, to Tobi's utter confusion, nobody else could see Deidara, or rather, his spirit. So, to his slight amusement, Deidara would often stand behind Pein and pantomime his every motion. While Tobi would have to suppress the fits of laughter that this brought, to the confusion of the other members and to the anger of Pein.

Even Zetsu, who talked to himself on a regular basis, was surprised when Tobi had an entire conversation with a patch of air in front of him, or himself, it was hard to tell. When asked whom he was talking to, Tobi calmly replied, "Deidara-senpai." Before walking off, leaving a befuddled Zetsu looking after him with surprised golden eyes.

But hatred and revenge is never forgotten, and Tobi still held the scorched scope when he was sure nobody was looking. And he would still sob silently at night under his orange and black spiral mask, and Deidara would watch over him in silence, sad that he could no longer comfort his partner and brush away his tears. And so the days dragged on in agonizing monotony until a week passed.

Tobi snapped. At the urging of Deidara, he had fled the hideout. The other members found out when Zetsu, being an early riser, found a small note pinned to his bedroom door with a shuriken.

"Sorry Zetsu-san. Deidara and I have gone off to find and kill that brat, the youngest Uchiha. Don't worry, Tobi will try to be a good boy and not make him suffer too much. If anyone needs us, we'll be in Konohagakure.

Tobi"

Each Akatsuki member had a similar note attached to their door, thanking them and telling them not to worry. As Hidan put it, "Jashin have mercy on that poor idiot, he's finally gone insane." Everyone listened to this comment and nodded solemnly. This had happened before, even though technically they weren't supposed to get too attached to their partner. But, much to Pein's consternation, it did happen and much too often for his liking. It was hard enough finding replacements for one member, but two was almost impossible.

Eventually everyone was sent off on their respective missions, while ordered to keep a lookout for Tobi and to retrieve him if he was found. Zetsu shook his head sadly and went off to scout; Itachi was pondering the meaning of "the youngest Uchiha". Pein was left to consider possibilities for new partners, and that always made him dejected, because it meant hours of sifting through paperwork. Konan sighed and followed Pein, she always needed to make sure he didn't get too frustrated, or the weather could go from sunny to miserable in three minutes flat.


	3. Blind Coincidence

**I finally figured out how to write Author's Notes! Very exciting. **

**So sorry I haven't updated in a while, this chapter has been sitting in my computer (unfinished) for weeks now.**

**Please review, that makes a certain someone extremely happy and it also makes her write faster as well.**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Naruto or any of the Akatsuki. Because I'm broke.**

* * *

**Red Dawn**

**Chapter Three**

**Blind Coincidence**

Tobi was still a couple of days travel away from the land of fire. He had shed his Akatsuki cloak and orange spiral mask, stowing these away in one of his travel packs. Instead he wore his old armor and forest green scarf. He had even taken his ring off and hung it on a chain around his neck, right next to Deidara's, which he had recovered also.

Under his senpai's instruction, he proceeded to fix the charred scope, restoring it to working order. As a final test he had taken off the medical eye-patch and slid the cool metal plates to fit his face. There was a sharp pain as his chakra connected, for he had not seen from that side for years. But he could see properly again, and he could always hold a part of his partner and senpai close.

The pain was worth it, to be able to see again. He often wondered about pain. He felt it every time he looked at the spirit of his senpai, every time he felt the two rings on his chest, every time he felt the cool metal of the scope on his cheek. It wasn't the pain of a kunai stab, but the dull aching pain that felt like something deep inside you was ripped out and could never be replaced. Was this how Deidara felt when Sasori died? Or was he the only one in this damned organization who could feel it? The guilt, the sorrow, the hurt. The pain increased as Deidara's spirit looked back at him, blue eyes bright and hair golden. The image of an angel. Tobi flinched involuntarily and looked away.

"You know, I did feel the exact same way when Sasori died" Tobi did a small double take as Deidara read his thoughts. "And… I'm not an angel, far from it." Deidara laughed hollowly and turned away, leading the path once more. Tobi was too startled to ask what his former partner meant by that, and how in the world Deidara knew what he was thinking, much less feeling.

That was the first time he doubted the existence of his senpai's spirit, the first time he asked himself if he was truly going insane. Tobi followed the blond spirit, a lot more on his mind then there was five minutes ago. He barely noticed when they crossed the border into the land of Fire.

* * *

Kakashi stopped abruptly as he sensed a different and large chakra signature heading their way. His first action was to finger the hitai-ate headband that covered his left eye; his second action was to step out of the way so Naruto didn't run into him. "Someone's there, we surround and escort." Kakashi said quickly, silencing Naruto before he could start complaining. Sakura nodded and silently followed the silver-haired jounin, Naruto muttered something about being warned first and followed the pink-haired kunoichi as they ran to intercept the stranger.

* * *

"Company" Deidara said simply just before Tobi felt three new chakra signatures. He congratulated himself on getting rid of his uniform beforehand. He stopped as the three ninja surrounded him, from Konohagakure by their headbands and probably returning to the village after a mission. He also thanked God, or Jashin, that he had deactivated his newfound power, the sharingan, before setting out that day.

He looked at each of them in turn. One was a jounin, older than the rest; with ANBU issue gloves and the standard chuunin vest. He wore his hitai-ate at a slant that covered his left eye and he had gravity defying silver hair. Not to mention the mask that covered the lower half of his face.

The second was a kunoichi, pink hair with wide open looking green eyes and a large forehead, all indicators of an understanding and open personality. She would probably be the easiest to manipulate as Deidara pointed out. She wore gloves to protect her hands from chakra use he assumed because the scope combined with sharingan could literally see her chakra imbedded in the gloves from frequent use.

The third, it took all Tobi had to not widen his eyes in shock, was the jinchuuriki that they had been hunting, the human container for the kyuubi, or nine-tailed fox. The blonde had short spiky hair, determined blue eyes and a slight grin on his features. Another one that would be easy to convince. The only one he would have to look out for was the jounin, whose gray eye now followed his gaze suspiciously.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked suspiciously, he had not missed the way the stranger's eye lingered on each one of them with calculated ease.

"I'm a foreigner immigrating to Konoha" Answered Tobi, looking off to Kakashi's left where Deidara stood, giving him the cover story.

"Then we'll escort you." Kakashi answered, glancing off to his left after seeing the stranger's eyes look over there, as if watching something, or someone. He didn't like this person's chakra signature; it was odd, out of place, almost familiar.

Tobi nodded, seeing no point in arguing with the three ninja, took his assigned place in the middle of their formation, Kakashi up ahead, Naruto Behind and Sakura flanking them on the side. Four more days' travel to Konohagakure and more information about Uchiha Sasuke, Deidara informed him happily as they resumed traveling, jumping from tree to tree.

* * *

Kakashi decided they should stop as the sunset and the moon rose above the horizon. Gladly obeying, the other three ninja started to set up camp. Meaning that Tobi stayed behind to help start the fire while Kakashi kept a watchful eye on him. Kakashi studied the strangers face closely, the longish spiky black hair that covered the left side of his face, including the eye. The one visible eye, coal black and sparkling with a good nature that reminded him of Naruto and… Kakashi shook his head and proceeded to study the right side of the strangers face, mangled with white scars that had never began to fade, the pale skin that was visible underneath, that looked like it had not seen the sun for years.

Kakashi averted his eye as he saw the stranger look up suddenly, like he knew he was under scrutiny. "What's your name?" he asked, suddenly having the need to call the stranger something, anything.

The stranger hesitated a moment. "Tobi" he said, "You?"

Kakashi answered "Hatake Kakashi" shortly and turned away, busying himself with unpacking the food for that night.

"I got the firewood!" Said a certain enthusiastic blond ninja as he came running out of the woods, a stack of dry wood in his arms, Naruto dumped it next to 'Tobi' who thanked him and asked what his name was. "The name's Naruto! What 'bout you?"

"Tobi" he said again with the same split second hesitation. "Thanks for the firewood Naruto." He added as he started to build up a stack of wood within a circle of stones he had carried there while Kakashi was making his observations. He stepped back slightly and motioned for Naruto to obey. Naruto shrugged and complied as Tobi made a couple of hand signs and ignited the wood with a fire jutsu. Kakashi and Naruto both instantly recognized it as a variant of Sasuke's fireball jutsu, but though nothing of it, the technique was fairly common anyways. Meanwhile Sakura had come back with some more firewood and dropped it beside the fire.

"You are?" she asked curiously.

"Tobi, you?" he countered with his own question.

"Sakura, pleased to meet you."

"Likewise" Tobi answered, sitting down by the fire.

Kakashi yawned and distributed the food, which Tobi declined on the grounds that he had already eaten and opened his book to his place. He remained up all night, watching for enemies, and especially keeping an eye on the new member of the party, Tobi, who occasionally muttered something to himself in his sleep. Kakashi shook his head again as he caught himself wondering about what was hidden under the shock of black hair that covered Tobi's left eye.

No matter, he would find out in the morning.


	4. Dreams, Hallucinations and Meetings

**(A/N) Sorry 'bout that, but i unfortunately uploaded the wrong file for this chapter, the dream sequence here is so much better! My updates will forever be Kakashi styled, so no complaining! hope you enjoy and be sure to click the review button. It gets lonely...**

**Disclaimer I don't own Naruto... or believe it or not, this story, I stole it off of Kishimoto's desk. hehehehe**

**I do own Zetsu, but don't tell anyone shifty eyes**

Tobi could see again. He looked up at the sun filtering green and yellow through the tree leaves. A light summer breeze ruffled the leaves of the magnificent trees that they were traveling under. It felt amazing to be on such an important mission, one vital to the success of Konohagakure in the war. Too bad it had all been ruined yesterday morning by that silver-haired jerk. Tobi looked at him sideways, the sunlight reflecting off of his silver hair that was slanted to one side, and his perpetually bored looking gray eyes flicked towards Tobi for a moment, almost as if he was useless… a piece of -weight.

Painful burn of white light in his eyes and he saw himself push the masked teammate out of the way of a boulder coming down on his blind side. His body moved on its own, and he asked himself for a second why he saved him.

Only then did Tobi pause to wonder why everything he looked at was covered in an orange tint. He saw it, a flash of bright white, a burning in his eyes and the slow motion replay of a dark form blotting out the sun, crushing him, the rocks that piled on the right side of him. He saw her, the tear-streaked face of a kunoichi with purple marks on her cheeks, and brown hair… beautiful even in grief. More pain and now no sight… only the faint echoes that ebbed away as he was left in the dark… weak, useless, alone, unwanted, superfluous. And it was so cold… so cold…

He often wondered who they were, if it was all a dream, despite the clarity of details, and the brightness of color, despite the pain that was all too real.

Sometimes he wondered… if, whoever they were, and whoever he was to them… they remembered him too.

* * *

Tobi's eyes snapped open and he sat up slightly, leaning on his arm. He quickly wiped his eye with his hand once he realized that his eyelashes were wet. His vision focused on Sakura and Naruto frozen in front of him in the oddest positions. Tobi pushed the dream to the back of his mind and raised an eyebrow at them instead.

Sakura and Naruto were both frozen with their hands outstretched in front of him. Almost like they were getting ready to brush something away and look. Sakura flinched and laughed, quickly ing her hand away and promptly socking Naruto on the head.

"You baka!" Sakura hissed at Naruto "And we almost got to see, honestly, it's just like that time we almost saw what was under Kakashi-sensei's mask… until you woke him up!"

Naruto winced and covered his head with his hands, probably to avoid getting a chakra enhanced blow this time. Tobi coughed and Sakura then froze again and hid the fist behind her back.

"Oh, sorry to disturb you, but Kakashi told me to inform you that we'll be leaving in an hour's time after he finishes scouting." She smiled and leaned in and said in a mock whisper "Don't bother being on time though, because he's always late!"

"I heard that!" Kakashi said from on top of a large boulder where he had been sitting, reading a small orange book. He scowled good-naturedly under his mask. "Actually, why not leave now?" He added before folding the book away and putting it into his waist pack.

Naruto yawned and looked up at the sky with his equally blue eyes. He then turned to Tobi, who gathered his travel pack and smoothed the hair that covered his left eye.

"So, how did you become a ninja?" Naruto asked, taking his position next to Tobi in the formation.

"Honestly, I'm sort of like a self-taught ninja." Tobi said, half listening to Deidara as he supplied the cover story. "I was found by a ninja when I was younger and taught by him, and eventually he introduced me to some of his friends and I had been working with them ever since. The country we lived in didn't have a hidden village, so the ninja we had came from other countries. I don't even think it exists today."

"Yeah, Kakashi told us once about a that was in the academy with him. Apparently this , she had scary kekkei-genkai. She d one of the students to insanity in one of the sparring sessions. Kakashi told us she got kicked out of the village but has been hanging around the village ever since, sometimes Konoha even used her to spy, even though technically she wasn't a citizen."

"Isn't that illegal? I mean, it would be going against a village to employ a rouge ninja, and an unstable one at that." Tobi pointed out.

"Yeah, well apparently her line abilities were just that amazing. They say…" At this Naruto lowered his voice and looked around, making sure that no-one was listening. "That she had these weird eyes, one black and one white. And she could somehow control time in a way that the Uchiha's could never master." At this Tobi blinked his visible eye in surprise.

"Not even with the Mangekyo?" Tobi asked.

"Not even with the Mangekyo, this clan that she was from, she was the last one and her ancestors gave the secret of controlling time in illusions to the Uchiha clan in return for the secret of making the eye jutsus." Naruto added, and then started a different subject. "So why do you want to come to Konoha?"

Tobi hesitated for a moment and then answered. "I have always wanted to become a legitimate ninja, and go up in rank, and to learn from a real sensei." He said a bit slower and more carefully than the previous story. Kakashi changed the squad's direction.

"Really? That's great, you'll love it there. You're getting citizenship, right? Well, the best place to eat out is Ichiraku's Ramen bar…" Naruto continued with a bunch of descriptions of the village, the citizens and various buildings.

Tobi zoned out slightly and instead focused on his chakra control. He never could focus well when he was talking at the same time. Tobi had slightly odd chakra. Odd because when it became visible, it was orange instead of the customary blue or green, and secondly because he had been part of the Akatsuki, he had amazing chakra reserves, which was important, because he didn't exactly have the best chakra control. He and Deidara would often set up lessons… Tobi coughed and looked away from the spirit traveling beside him, on the opposite side from where Naruto was.

They had been traveling for some time now, about four or five hours, before Kakashi decided to break camp. "Tomorrow we'll be back home by 12:00 and you," Kakashi turned to Tobi "will have to have a background check, skill evaluation and interview with our Hokage, Tsunade." Tobi nodded, slightly intimidated at the prospect of being interviewed by the Hokage and one of the sannin.

"I'll be back; I need to check on something." Tobi said after dropping his pack on the ground. Their camp was set in a small sandy depression surrounded by boulders, the sky was visible and trees ringed the clearing. It looked almost familiar, and there was an immense pile of boulders nearby that they had passed on their journey from the land of rain. Tobi headed to those boulders and found a secluded area where he could talk to his companion in peace.

"An interview with the Hokage?! Not to mention that by 'hokage' they mean Tsunade…" Deidara ended with an impressed whistle. "Wow, un. I might not be able to help you if the detectors recognize my chakra signature, because I am and S-class criminal."

"What about me? I'm in the Akatsuki too, won't my chakra show up? It is different." Tobi asked.

"No, un. I don't think so." The spirit replied, jumping to a higher rock.

* * *

Kakashi was a bit suspicious when Tobi immediately headed off to "Check on some things." As far as he knew he could be reporting back to the enemy. Kakashi set down his book and put a shuriken in it to mark his place. Then he followed Tobi, staying at least ten yards behind him at all times. He stiffened when he saw Tobi near the large pile of moss covered boulders. It had been fourteen years since he was last here. Since the time when he got his sharingan in the exact same spot where Tobi was sitting right now. His gray eye watered and he wiped it away with his hand. "Some sand got in my eye, that's all." He said softly, remembering his teammate, the screw-up of the Uchiha clan. Uchiha Obito.

Kakashi came close enough to hear the conversation… almost. He could see that Tobi was talking to a patch of air above him, on top of one of the boulders. "A concealing jutsu?" Kakashi asked himself and raised his hitai-ate headband, uncovering his sharingan eye. He looked at the top of the rock. He blinked. He looked again. He rubbed his eyes. The figure still didn't disappear. And what's more, it was wearing the signature black cloak with red clouds. "Akatsuki" Kakashi hissed and automatically pulled out some shuriken from their holster. He looked again at Tobi, he looked scared, worried almost. Was it possible that he was forced to do this? Kakashi looked at the Akatsuki member again. Wait… there was only one member of the Akatsuki who had blond hair and that was… Kakashi stiffened. Tobi was in real danger whether he knew it of not. Kakashi crept closer to the boulders and circled until the Akatsuki member's back was to him. He took a kunai blade in his other hand and waited, like a tiger ready to pounce.

* * *

Deidara widened his blue eyes and disappeared, vanishing into the air like a puff of mist. Tobi jumped in surprise and looked around, not seeing Kakashi, who was hidden out of view. Deidara had actually left him… Tobi sighed and brushed away the hair on the left side of his face and pulled the scope away from his eye socket. There was a sharp pain as the chakra disconnected. He stowed the bit of hardware in his waist pack and leaned back against the large boulder. What in the world was he going to do now that his guide was gone?

* * *

Kakashi almost jumped in surprise as that Akatsuki member… what was his name? The pyromaniac… Deidara disappeared into thin air. "Might have been a projection or a shadow clone." Kakashi told himself, refusing to believe that a ninja could just disappear and the sharingan wouldn't pick up their chakra. It was almost like the blond pyromaniac was a ghost… Kakashi shivered and instead looked at Tobi who was now leaning back against a large boulder, obviously deep in thought. "That's funny," Kakashi said to himself, "his chakra's orange… that's different. Wait haven't I seen someone with orange chakra before?" He shook his head before dismissing the impossible thought that ran through his head at that precise moment. There had to be more than one person with orange charka. He reassured himself. He looked back up to the pile of boulders; it could always be residue charka… _Residue charka for fourteen years?_ He thought to himself, now seeing the idea as absurd. _There's more chance of Obito coming back to life._ He scoffed at his stupidity and put his kunai knife away. The Akatsuki member… It could have been a hallucination, he had had to use his sharingan heavily for that mission and he still needed time to recuperate. Kakashi dismissed all of that and ignored the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Yeah there was more chance of Obito coming up and taking him out for ramen.

* * *

Tobi watched Kakashi walk back towards the camp, where a red glow already indicated that Naruto and Sakura already started a fire. It was getting dark now. Why did Deidara leave? Why does this place look so damn familiar? Tobi was never really one for cussing, but when you've lived with Hidan for as long as Tobi has… It rubs off, even if you never say it out loud. Tobi was startled out of his reverie when he heard a rather loud cough behind him. He whirled around and prepared a hand sign… "Oh, it's only you Zetsu-san." Tobi said before turning back around. He thought for a second and then jumped to his feet. "Zetsu-san!?"

"Yes Tobi?" the man replied in his usual dry manner, looking at him sideways with golden eyes.

"W-what are you doing here?" Tobi stammered still at a loss for words.

Zetsu ignored the question "You know… fourteen years ago, this is where I found you. Buried under those boulders." He gestured with his white hand to the immense rocks they were standing on. "You were near and I had been watching, I saw you take a blow for another teammate, and I saw you awaken your sharingan for the first time." Tobi blinked. "Your team left you for when you were closed off from them, I took you and healed you… but I also recovered this." Zetsu reached into his shuriken holster and produced a shard of orange glass attached to the mangled remains of what seemed like what used to be a pair of goggles. "We knew that one day you would return here Tobi. If you need us we'll always be close-by, looking out for you." Zetsu paused, he was unaccustomed to talking for long about anything. "You've always been a good kid Tobi, take care of yourself." He coughed and prepared to melt back into the ground but Tobi caught him first in a hug and looked up at the man with his one eye.

"Thank you Zetsu-san" Tobi said simply, smiling for the first time since Deidara died. Zetsu faintly smiled back awkwardly and disappeared from view. Tobi headed towards the faint red glow of the camp. Tomorrow they would be in Konoha and he one step closer to finding Uchiha Sasuke… and revenge.


End file.
